This is a continuation of U.S. Application Ser. No. 06/594,395 filed on Mar. 28, 1984, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,430, entitled "Picture Frame Hanger, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Ser. No. 393,550, filed on June 30, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No, 4,485,995, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Ser. No. 268,499, filed May 29, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,608.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices for supporting objects from a flexible, elongated article, and in particular, to a picture hanger. The invention also relates to fasteners insertable into brick and block materials.
2. Prior Art
Over the years patents have been issued for various frame picture hangers. Two problems, however, are typical of known picture hangers. First, picture hangers are typically stamped from sheet metal and one end is curved to form a U-shaped hook. The wire fastened to a picture frame is suspended from such hook. Because the edges of the U-shaped hook are sharp, the wire becomes frayed and is damaged with use.
Second, because of the U-shaped portion of the hook, there is a lot of play when the wire is placed in the hook. The wire tends to move in the bight of the U-shaped portion away from the wall causing a lever action on the anchor fastening the picture hanger to the wall. Because the anchor is usually a nail, the lever action loosens the nail causing the hanger to sag sometimes to become loose.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,161,268 (Tuck) attempts to solve these problems by stamping out a narrow tongue from a backplate and rolling it out away from the backplate to form a curved wedge into which a frame wire will be placed. Furthermore, Tuck discloses the use of nails to secure the picture hanger to a wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,496 to Harris discloses a slidable thin sleeve arrangement for use with a nail driven by a powderactuated device. The tip member of the Harris reference is formed of an elastomeric material, such as vinyl, and the thin portions are flexible.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,652,648 issued to Swangren shows a soft metal washer for nails. In particular, FIG. 6 is of relevance for showing the flexible metal washer being deformed under the head of the nail into an opening between the nail and a surrounding crown of corrugated sheathing indicated as S in FIG. 6.
Pratorius, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,329, discloses a bolt assembly for use in an explosive-actuated bolt setter. FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 show various embodiments of the bolt. A plastic jacket 2 made of a tough elastic which is cold flowing surrounds the bolt body. The jack extends substantially the entire length of the bolt save for the penetrating tip end, and during driving of the jacket is deformed to prevent buckling of the bolt.
A thin sleeve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,195 to Rosenberg, Jr., in FIG. 3. There are eight inner protrusions and eight outer protrusions on the body of the thin sleeve. The sleeve is made of plastic which is capable of withstanding the force and heat of the explosion without disintegrating and which will remain intact throughout the travel of the stud through the tool. Furthermore, the Rosenberg, Jr. patent discloses that the sleeve may be used with various types of fastening elements such as pins, nails, threaded studs, eyelet nails, and the like which are fired into steel, concrete, masonry and the like materials.
A stud for explosive installation having a thin sleeve is shown in Erickson in U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,508. The sleeve may be constructed of any resilient material including paper, plastic, rubber, or a vinyl resin which is readily combustible or friable so that the ring will be destroyed or substantially destroyed by burning during the expelling of the stud from the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,300,173 issued to Kennedy, Jr. discloses a rigid plastic material jig used to guide a nail into a wall. U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,984 issued to De Caro shows a stud having a tip-enclosing guide with a ribbed flange. U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,323 issued to O'Brien discloses a tip-enclosing guiding element for a fastener. U.S. Pat. No. 3,47,825 issued to Caty is directed to an elastic washer having ribs thereon.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 647,738, 992,203, 2,330,373, 2,334,700, 3,912,211 and 4,286,496, and U.S. Pat. No. Des 42,940 show other hangers.